Salt supplier, Salt of the Earth, has launched a low sodium sea salt ingredient, allowing manufacturers to reduce the sodium in bakery products including cereals and breads.
The ingredient allows for a sodium reduction of between 28 and 66 percent, and its launch comes in the same week that the Heart Foundation kick started the Halt Hidden Salt campaign, which is designed to raise awareness of the high salt levels in processed foods.
The main challenge in sodium reduction is the aftertaste of salt substitutes,” said Aliza Ravizki, R&D manager of Salt of the Earth. “We conducted numerous trials of different mineral sources to solve this problem and finally came up with a tasty, propriety blend of sea salt sourced from the clear waters of the Red Sea, and potassium chloride derived from the Dead Sea.
“Sea salt contains most of the trace minerals needed for the body. Salt of the Earth’s low sodium sea salt ingredient enables food manufacturers to reduce the sodium in a formulation, without any negative effect on taste,” Ravizki said.
According to Salt of the Earth, the new low sodium salt ingredient can be added to the food production process easily, has a long shelf life, is highly heat-stable and has few food additives.
Last year, a similar organisation, Nu-Tek Salt, partnered with The George Institute in an attempt to tackle the health problems associated with high sodium diets. The Salt Swap initiative involved distributing Nu-Tek’s Salt for Life product, which offers 70 percent less sodium than conventional table salt, to residents and independent bakeries in Lithgow in order to help reduce salt intake in the area by 10 percent.